North boys go Inter battle in Trophy decider
NORTHUMBERLAND bid for glory on Monday when they host Merseyside in the final of the Northern Counties Schools Football Association’s Under-18 Inter-County Trophy.
The match will be played at Ashington FC’s Woodhorn Lane ground (6.30 kick-off).
Northumberland have a very good record in the championship, having won it three years on the trot twice - from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2006 to 2009.
Conversely, Merseyside lost in the final for four straight years between 2001 to 2005.
North reached the Trophy’s decider with a 3-1 victory against Lancashire at Skelmersdale.
They put themselves under pressure from the off by repeatedly giving the ball away and were fortunate to survive the first five minutes.
Then, in their first venture upfield, they took the lead when a low shot from Jack Butler found its way under the diving goalkeeper.
The game settled into an even rhythm until the 23rd minute, when the ball was moved quickly from Jake Jensen to Jonny Fox and on to Butler, who converted his second from close range.
More pressure forced a defender to hold on to Butler’s shirt when a threat seemed imminent, but this went unseen by the referee and only a corner resulted - from which a Lancashire defender cleared off the line.
Lancs hit back and looked certain to score until Jake Beckwith produced a great block.
Next Butler (pictured right) looked odds on to complete his hat-trick but slid the ball past the post when one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Then North almost gave away a goal, thanks to an attempted clearance from goal-keeper Callum Harley rebounding from a challenging attacker towards goal - Beckwith again saving the day with a lastditch clearance off the line.
Lancs finished the half strongly and went close when Harley was forced to tip a fierce shot over the bar to safety.
When the second period started Lancs forced a corner and a header clipped the bar - but the momentum switched back to North and Fox had a shot deflected for a corner and then saw his free-kick from 25 yards pushed around the post by the diving goalkeeper.
Then Butler saw a shot skim the bar before Lancs came back into it with three corners in quick succession, which were well defended.
North stepped it up with a half-hit effort from close range by Vinnie Proudlock being blocked, as was yet another Butler strike.
At last, after 42 minutes, the issue was decided by Joe Conway, who picked up a woefully-weak backpass to round the goalkeeper and shepherd the ball into the net.
There was still time for a late consolation as a Lancs forward was left unmarked with time to slot the ball into the corner.